There is no one right way to parent

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Only when you become a parent do you realise how a tiny baby can turn your world upside-down. Your newborn may be adorable, but getting used to infant feeding, changing, bathing and sleep (or lack of it!) takes time, patience – and lots of trial and error.

When we spoke to new mums, a massive 72% told us they worried they weren't good enough. We want to change that. We believe the only way to parent is your way. So trust your instincts, celebrate your successes, and let Baby Dove help you along the way.

It's not easy being a new mum or dad in today’s world. You're bombarded with conflicting advice from family, friends, baby books and baby websites. And the endless parade of apparently perfect parents across magazines and social media can dent the confidence of even the most self-assured.

In our research, almost half of mothers said they felt inadequate and nine in ten felt pressure to be a perfect mum, and we know fathers face these pressures too. We want to help overturn these statistics and celebrate doing things your own way.

Children’s nurse and mum of two, Tracey, reminded us that, “no one will ever know their baby better than the parent. Your baby, your choice.”

We asked other parents how they deal with the stresses of parenting and develop the confidence to do things their own way:

1

Evan, dad and Baby Dove scientist.

"Everyone is different, so do your own thing and trust your gut… Once we started doing our own thing, it made parenting much less stressful”

2

Andy, dad of one.

“It’s natural to sometimes feel alone as parents, so try to support each other. Each night, we share our moments of the day, learning from them to make things better next time"

3

Carla, mum and Baby Dove scientist.

"I try not to get pressured by things I read or what other mums are saying or doing… I just focus on what I need to do for my kids and trust my intuition"

4

Dr Dina, mum of four.

“Of course listening to others and their experiences and advice can be helpful but it really should be your own gut and intuition that guides your own parenting"

5

Charlie, dad of two.

“You are exhausted as a parent, mum or dad, but remembering time for yourself to keep fit and healthy will help you maintain energy and a good bit of perspective too. It’s ultimately what works well for you and the kids – as long as that keeps them safe and healthy then it’s the right way for you and it doesn’t matter what others think"

6

Camila, new mum and Dove marketer.

“Before becoming a parent, I had an idea of what kind of mother I wanted to be, with rules and behaviours. But, when the real thing happened, I discovered a new person in me. I was doing things in a completely different way than what I expected – the experience is so different from the expectation”